But we have to remember that although we've got an ocean on either side of this country, America is not an island. Besides the vital numbers of Americans who are guided daily by the Bible, there are millions of non-Americans who are similarly guided by it. But we can't stop there! We know that there are many Americans who are also guided by the Koran and the Torah and the Talmud, as well as non-Americans in parts of the world where the United States is active, as you might have heard. We need to understand these crucial books, as well.
But we have to remember that the United States, Europe and the Middle East are not islands. There are many people who are guided by the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, the Tao Te Ching, the Confucian Analects, the Zend Avesta, the holy book of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the Book of Mormon, and Dianetics. How can we risk ignoring the powerful groups who shape world opinion and world events with these important books in mind?
One thing, though: you don't suppose these people want to favor teaching the Bible over the world's other holy books simply because Christian sects outnumber other religions in the United States, do you? I realize that Christianity is the mighty, 800-pound theological gorilla in the United States, but I remember a catchy phrase someone once said: "Blessed are the meek."
The instruction I got in high school about Taoism, Sikhism and Buddhism were invaluable, though other religions weren't taught as thoroughly. My world cultures teacher favored India for some reason, so while we also covered "the people of the Book," they weren't as emphasized. I could have benefited from some neutral instruction about the tenets of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, as could the rest of the class, but there were time constraints, and anyway, most of my class were already Christians, so we were getting much of that instruction on the outside (biased though it was.) Hopefully these school districts can conjure a sufficiently comprehensive course to teach students about all these important world religions.
Oh, and ancient mythology is important, too. If knowing the ancient Greek myths was good enough for Dante Alighieri, Peter Abelard and Copernicus, then it's good enough for the young scholars of today, I'm sure.
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